Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-08-31
The Sturp Teller.

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AN OLD LAWYERS STORY.
A great many years ago, while 1 was
comparatively young man, and still un-
married, I resided in certain city in
Pennsylvania, and enjoyed the reputation
of being the cleverest lawyer ever known
there. It is not for me to say the praise
was merited, but certainly found myself
able to discover loop-holes of escape for
those whom I defended, which surprised
even my fellow-lawyers. possessed by
nature those qualities which would have
made an excellent detective, and 1 was a
thorough student of the law. There was
no mystery about it, but among the more
ignorant classes have gained reputation
for more than human knowledge. Per.
haps it was not polite for them to say that
the devil helped, but they did. However,
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self was of American birth, but her hus-
band had been Frenchman, and so the
title Madame had been bestowed upon her.
She was now widow, and her daughter
Gabrielle and son Henri were her only
living relatives. Her income was but
slender, and she eked it out by taking
boarders, generally. steady old people who
had known her for many years. These re-
spected and liked her but the city gener-
ally had prejudice against her. There
had been two sudden deaths in her house.
Each time the victim was stranger who
came at night, and was found dead in his
bed in the morning. Each time the Jury
was divided some believing that strangu,.
lation was the cause of death, some that
the man had died in fit.
It was a terrible thing that two such
deaths should have occurred beneath her
roof. Madame's. friends pitied her. The
rest of the little world limited that these
were strangers, and their trunks, with no
one knew what amount of money and 9th
er valuable property, remained in Mad
ame's possession. No one said she was
murderess, but every one said it was "very
strange" in an odd tone, and no one hed,
since the second death, visited Madame
Matteau.
I myself perhaps because I had ad-
mired her great deal, and her daughter
much more-had always insisted that 1t
was merely coincidence, and that In
world where appoplexy and heart disease
were so common, it was no such marvel
that two men should have met sudden
deaths in the same house. But my faith
in this theory was shaken when one morn
ing it was published over the city that an,
other transient boarder had been found
dead in Madame Matteau's house, and that
she was arrested on suspicion Of having
murdered him, his watch and chain hav-
ing been found in her possession.
Before I had recovered from the shock
of this terrible piece Of news, q message
came to me from Madame Matteau. She
desired to see me. Of course went at
once.
She had been taken to prison, and I
found her in little room with barred
window, and an insufficient fire on the
hearth. The logs had been burnt in two
upon the andirons, and the white ashes
were scattered over the hearth. Almost
in them sat Madame Matteau, in her wild
owls dress of sombre black.
She was chilly with grief and excite
ment, and had drawn her chair close to the
fire.
She shook violently from head to foot,
and her face was deadly pale as she turned
it toward me and held out her hand.
"Oh! thank Heaven, you have come ~
she said. II know you can save me. Is
Why should I? Why do people come to
my house to die? To die horribly, with
black faces and staring eyes, as if some one
had choked them? Ugh! and he was q
pretty young man the night before. On
good Heaven, how horrible"
sat down beside her. I took her hand.
MADAME Matteau," said, "be calm !;
collect yourself. AS your lawyer, must
know all. Tell me, from first to last, what
happened-what was said, what was done.
If you"
1 paused; her black eyes flashed upon
me; could not ask her if she had any
confession to make. I saw that she had
not. Unless she was the best actress who
ever lived, Madame Matteau was innocent
of any crime.
"If you have any suspicious" I added
"tell them all to come." >,
''There is no one to suspect" sobbed the
poor woman. "In the house were Gabri-
old Hannah, the cook; Mr.. and Mrs.
Beauchamp, friends of poor, dear hus-
band in his boyhood-the best, kindest
people; Mr.. Gray, very old man, too
feeble to leave the house poor, deformed
Miss Norman, and the librarian, Mr..
Bassford. None of these would murder a
mouse. See how kind they are; they
remain in my house they send me word
that they have no doubt Of me. on, how
can anybody"
"And this man who" I began. -,
"Yes," said Madame Matteau, II will
tell you. He was fair, young, handsome
ly dressed he asked Mr.. Eastwood at the
depot if he knew of any one who would
accommodate him. Mr.. Eastwood brought
him home. My only empty room was the
IsoL 4 =, oe<ro 6ioH I onnI6
not bear to put him there; but Mr.. Bass
wood laughed at me. We had supper af-
terward. He talked long time to Gabri-
ellie. It was late when he retired-late
for quiet household. Hannah had made
his fire. She came and told US that she
had done 80. He said good night.
"After he had gone we found that he
had left his watch on the table. He wore
it only with bunch of seals, and he had
been setting it by the clock, and showing
it to US as something very handsome: [
knocked at the door to restore it to him.
He had not left US but fifteen minutes be-
fore; but he must have been asleep al
ready, for he made 70 answer. SO kept
itfor the night, and wore it down to break,
fast next morning. AS l came down 1
met gentlemen in the hall. he lnqulr'
ed for Mr.. Glenn. That was the new-com-
er's name. sent Hannah to Waken him
She could not do so and grew alarmed
She had a key that would open the door
and used it. The next thing knew we
were all in the room and the windows
were all wide open, and the doctor had
been sent for; and the young man who
had called was screaming that his Drothel
had been choked to death and then there
was the inquest, and they arrested me:
The brother said the first thing he noticed
was that I wore Mr.. Glenn's watch and
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